‘Shogun’ held in custody on dual fraud charges

national April 14, 2017 12:31

By The Nation

Alleged tour scammer also accused of duping a nine-year-old

Pasit Ariyalapit, the woman known as “Shogun” who is accused of cheating more than 1,000 would-be travellers, will remain in police custody until she’s prepared to apply for bail, her lawyer said on Friday.

Nitisak Meekuat told reporters that Pasit, 31, was “worried” but maintaining her innocence as they wait for the charges against her to be clarified.

He said Pasit, the founder and chief executive of food-supplement firm WealthEver, is gathering documents and assets to apply for bail and would in the meantime remain in custody.

The lawyer had just paid an early-morning visit to his client at Crime Suppression Division (CSD) headquarters in Bangkok.

Pasit faces fraud charges after allegedly cheating more than 1,000 people who were promised a three-day Songkran trip to Japan but were instead left stranded at Suvarnabhumi Airport on Tuesday night. Police arrested her in Ranong province the next day after five of her relatives had been taken in for questioning.

CSD commander Pol Maj General Suthin Sappoung said 314 people had filed complaints and Pasit faces two criminal fraud charges. The first stems from her alleged promise last year to the parents of a nine-year-old boy to secure him modelling work in return for a Bt220,000 management deposit. The second charge is one of public fraud over the well-publicised alleged tour scam, Suthin said.

He said police would oppose her release on bail because they consider her a flight risk.

Suthin added that his division would be consulting the Anti-Money Laundering Office about certain financial transactions and the possibility of confiscating Pasit’s assets.

Pasit was taken to Ratchadapisek Criminal Court at 10.30am on Friday, where police formally requested an initial 12-day detention period pending further investigation. A group of people she allegedly cheated gathered outside the court to berate her and demand their money back.